A MAN without a soul in the world to call a friend has been given four months to get his life in order.

Simon Anslow, 24, was told by Judge Raymond Bennett at Burnley Crown Court, that the ball was now in his court and he had to stay out of trouble.

Anslow, of Highfield House bail hostel, Lydia Street, Accrington, had sentence adjourned until October 22.

He must live where directed by the probation service.

Anslow was committed for sentence by Hyndburn magistrates, after being convicted of handling stolen goods.

Sara Dodd, defending, told Burnley Crown Court that Anslow, who offended on licence, knew he could go back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

In the recent years, he had spent very little time at liberty.

The defendant was in care until he was 17 and had been moved from one institution to another.

When he was no longer in the care of the social services, he went out into a "big wide world" with no experience of it.

He became addicted to drugs, started to steal and began a pattern of offending, prison, offending and prison again.

Anslow, who had been diagnosed as having a personality disorder, had asked for help with his habit and got that in Preston prison.

There was a bed available for the defendant at a hostel where he had been staying.

He was welcome back there and wanted to carry on the work that had been started and that in fairness, Anslow was himself doing.

Miss Dodd said Anslow, who did not have a soul in the world, was not relying on other people to help him, but was helping himself.

He had been doing art work in custody and wanted to carry on with that, as part of society.

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